Supreme Court
Mentioning the matter before Justice Krishna Rao on Monday, TMC’s counsel said the vacating order was passed on Sept 4 but was served only on the owner, who had not disputed it. Earlier reporting noted: A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, however, declined to interfere with the August 28 order of the high court, which declined to grant any interim relief to TMC, and noted that the issues raised by the party are still pending before the high court. Earlier reporting noted: Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the TMC, said a petition was filed before the high court alleging that the party’s billboard was removed from its 9, Camac Street office by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation without issuing any notice.
Appearing for TMC, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the party was entitled to put up its nameboard at its office, alleging it had been illegally removed. Sibal said the HC had virtually rendered TMC’s plea infructuous by holding there was no cause of action. The bench, however, said the party should raise its contentions before the HC, where its plea was pending, and asked the court to decide it expeditiously. The building owner had said the nameboard was removed following his complaint.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Bengal, objected to TMC approaching the SC against a single-judge order, saying it should have first moved a division bench of the HC. Sibal alleged municipal authorities had targeted the TMC office, pointing out that a Haldiram outlet’s nameboard remained in place. “We are the occupiers of the premises. There’s a lease deed. We have already procured a status quo from civil court. To bypass that order, this entire conundrum is being projected via the fire safety department,” the counsel submitted, adding that the party occupied the sixth and seventh floors and that no date for vacating the premises had been specified.
New Delhi/Kolkata: Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Trinamool’s appeal against a Calcutta HC order refusing interim relief over removal of the party’s nameboard from its Camac Street office in Kolkata, asking it to approach the HC for expeditious disposal of its pending plea. Earlier reporting noted: Supreme Court asks Calcutta HC to ‘expeditiously’ hear TMC plea on billboard The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Calcutta high court to expeditiously hear a petition by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) challenging the removal of the billboard at the party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s Kolkata office without being issued any notice.